Pointe-Claire’s Camp de Base store goes out of business
After 35 years of selling canoes and kayaks to Montrealers, the Camp de Base outdoors store in Pointe-Claire will soon close its doors.
Store owner Ryan Cavell said the company declared bankruptcy before Christmas because it had become all but impossible for the small independent store on Cartier Ave. to turn a profit. He said several factors led to the demise of Camp de Base, which had carved out a niche clientele among the city’s kayak enthusiasts.
“It was the combination of a couple of factors,” said Cavell, who started working at the store in 1999.
“The economy not being super hot is one reason, but probably the biggest reason are the tariffs that were imposed on all watercraft last summer. All my boats come from the United States and anything that crosses the border gets a 10 per cent tariff (slapped) on them.”
Cavell said more than 80 per cent of his business was based on sales of kayaks and canoes.
“It was such a big part of our business … last year we offered 126 different models of boats.”
Another factor was the lingering reconstruction of Cartier Ave., which dragged on for a year, from 2017 into 2018.
The road construction project stalled just before Christmas of 2017 when the contractor suddenly went bankrupt, leaving many businesses and residents along the northern stretch of Cartier Ave. without adequate parking or sidewalks.
“At Christmas time last year, there was a six-foot pit in front of my store,” Cavell said.
“The mayor (John Belvedere) actually did a good job fixing it. It wasn’t his fault that it happened. It was unfortunate. A bunch of unfortunate events just kind of piled up against us.
“And to push forward through next year, I just didn’t think it was possible.”
Austin Marsh, who is overseeing the liquidation of stock for Continental Auctioneers till the end of February, said former customers are welcome to come by and sign the blue Camp de Base sign that once hung over the store entrance.
The plan is to eventually present it to Cavell as a souvenir, but that might take a while.
“I don’t know if I’ll go down Cartier ever again,” Cavell said.